Adjustable flood-gate.



-W. KEMPER.

ADJUSTABLE FLOOD GATE.

APPLIOATIONYIILED MAB..16.1910.

PatentedJuly 19, 1910.

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W. KEMPER.

ADJUSTABLE FLOOD GATE.

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instance, during a flood, the gate will auto- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE FLOOD-GATE.

965,112. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910. Application filed March 16, 1910. Serial No. 549,729.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KEMPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dexter, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Adjustable Flood-Gate, of which the following is a specification. I

The object of my invention is to provlde a flood gate of simple, durable and inexpensive construction designed to be extended across small streams and the like so arranged that it may be readily, quickly and easily adjusted by hand vertically when 1n a desired height so that the lower edge of the gate will stand above the level of the water in the stream.

A further object is to provide a gate of this kind that is so arranged that, when an excessive quantity of water and debris carried thereby presses upon the gate as, for

latch for said gate. Fig. 9 shows a front elevation of a modified form of my gate. The dotted lines in said figure show the gate in a partly elevated position, and Fig. 10 shows a detail, plan view illustrating the top of the gate supporting post and the plate thereon for supporting the spring.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a stationary gate post having on one side thereof a stationary gate supporting bar 11 preferably made of pipe and supported at its ends in the brackets 12 and 13 fixed to the gate post. On top of the gate post is an arm 14 pivoted to the gate post by means of the pin 15 and having two pulleys l6 and 17 at itsends. A rope or cable 18 is passed over these pulleys and a weight 19 is applied to one end thereof, the other end being attached to the gate. The gate proper comprises a frame 20 which may be made of any suitable material, preferably tubing, and which is also preferably provided with cross wires 21. The upper and lower gate frame members are pivotally connected with the stationary upright 11 and are also slid ingly mounted thereon as shown in Fig. 1. The gate is also provided with two cross braces 22 and 23. The brace 22 has its upper end forked at 2 1 and extended on oppo site sides of the upright 11. It is also provided with a roller 25 to engage the rear face of the upright 11 as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The other brace 23 is forked at its lower end at 26 and is preferably provided with two rollers 27 and 28 to engage opposite sides of the upright 11 to thereby minimize friction and to permit the gate to readily slide vertically and also to swing horizontally. At the outer end of the gate, I have provided a series of ratchet teeth 29. Where two gate members are used, as in Fig. 1, I provide a central post capable of folding rearwardly upon pressure applied to its upper end so that it will not obstruct the channel of the stream over which the gate is placed. The said post comprises a stationary post member 80 firmly fixed in the ground and having a metal strap 31 passed around it. A hinged post member 32 is provided with its lower end inserted in the metal strap 31 and pivotally connected therein by means of the hinge member 33 fixed to the hinged post, and a pin 34E passes through said hinged member and through the strap 31 so that the post member 32 may matically swing open and at the same time be automatically elevated to thereby clear itself from the water and debris and permit the flood to pass through the gate opening to thereby avoid injury to the gate.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a gate embodying my invention formed of two gate members. The dotted lines in said figure show the position of one of the gate members when at its upper limit of movement. Fig. 2 shows a detail, top or plan view of one of the gate members in its closed position. The dotted lines show the position of the gate when opened. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, detail view, partly in section, illustrating the central gate post. Fig. A shows a detail view on the line 4l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a detail, sectional view illustrating the means for connecting the upper port-ion of the gate with the stationary upright. Fig. 6 shows a detail, sectional view illustrating the means for connecting the lower portion of the gate with the stationary upright. Fig. 7 shows a modified form of my invention in which a single gate member only is used and which is adapted for use over a driveway. Fig. 8 shows a. detail, plan view illustrating the swing rearwardly as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Attached to the post member 30 is a metal strap 35 designed to be passed around the sides of the post member 32 and this strap member35 is provided with a breakable pin 36 preferably made of wood to extend across the rear of the post member 32. The post member 32 is also provided with one or more openings 37 also designed to receive breakable pins for purposes hereinafter made clear. At the top of the post member 32 is a spring latch device comprising a metal bar 38 extended downwardly and away from the post and provided with a cross piece 39 near its lower end to serve as a handle. The lower end of said spring is designed to engage with the ratchet teeth 29 of the gate. I place two wooden pins 40 through the openings 37 in the post to extend on opposite sides of both of the gate members as shown in Fig. 1. I then adjust the gate members so that their lower ends will stand clear of the stream. This may be done by simply grasping the cross piece 39 and moving the spring 38 toward the central post and permitting the gate members to move upwardly until they stand in the desired position. Then the springs 38 are released and they will engage the ratchet teeth 29 and thus hold the gate members against upward movement.

In the modified form of my invention, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown a gate embodying my invention adapted for use as an ordinary farm gate and instead of the breakable pins for latching the gate, I provide a pivot strap 41 at the top of the gate post 42 designed to stand on opposite sides of the gate. A similar strap is provided on each side of the gate post and I preferably provide a handle 43 -for each strap, the downward movement of the strap being limited by a strap 44. hen my improved gate is used as a farm gate it may swing open in either direction.

In the modified form of the invention, illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, I have dispensed with the rope and pulleys and the weight and substitute therefor a pivot plate 45 on top of the gate post having an arm 46 provided with an opening 47 and a contractible coil spring 48 is placed in said open ing and has its other end attached to the central portion of the lower end of the gate.

In practical use, and assuming that the gate members are adjusted vertically to position where they will be above the level of the stream at ordinary stages, then the operator may, during the time that the stream rises and falls a comparatively slight amount, readjust the gate from time to time to keep it in position just above the level of water. This may be done very quickly and easily without the use of tools. However in the event of a flood or a sudden unexpected rise in the stream, the pressure of the water and floating debris will be suificient to cause the gate to break one of the pins 40 to thereby permit the gate members to swing open and as soon as the gate members swing clear of the spring latch devices 38 the weight or spring connected with the gate will be sufficient to raise it to its upper limit of movement above the stream and in such. a position that it will not become caught or entangled in the floating debris. Then after the flood has subsided the operator may readily and easily swing the gate back to normal position and replace the broken pin. After the gates swing open and if the pres sure of the water and floating debris is sufficiently great the breakable pin 36 will also be broken and the central post may swing down to a substantially horizontal position so that it will not be injured by the flood.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a gate frame, means for sup porting the gate to swing in a horizontal position and also to move vertically, ratchet teeth on the upper end portion of the gate, and a spring latch fixed to a stationary support and designed to engage said ratchet teeth and to hold the gate against upward movement, and means for normally elevating the gate when said spring is released from the ratchet teeth.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a gate frame, means for supporting the gate to swing in a horizontal position and also to move vertically, ratchet teeth on the upper end portion of the gate and a spring latch fixed to a stationary support and designed to engage said ratchet teeth and to hold the gate against upward movement, means for normally elevating the gate when said saring is released from the ratchet teeth, an means for preventing a swinging movement of the gate.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a gate post, an upright secured to and spaced apart from one side of the gate post, a gate frame, braces for the gate frame having forked ends to receive said upright, rollers arranged between said forked ends to slide on the upright, means applied to the central portion of the gate for normally elevating it, ratchet teeth formed on the outer end of the gate, a post adjacent to the outer end of the gate, a spring fixed to the post and designed to engage said ratchet teeth, a breakable pin connected with the post and designed to engage the outer end of the gate to prevent it from swinging open, for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 28, 1910.

WILLIAM KEMPER.

Vitnesses MARY IVALLAOE, W. A. LOFTUS. 

